Camilla

 

Waking up early, I lie in my bed and stare at the baby monitor. Liam is sleeping, and I reflect on watching Ellis last night as he read him a bedtime story.

I wonder if Ellis considered that I could be spying on them. It was a beautiful sight, but it was also odd to see him flip that switch and be gentler than the man I’d been with only minutes before in the guest house.

My experience with him was like nothing I could have imagined. My preconceived notion was that I’d suffer through it, but the evening ended up amazing, and I’m different today because of it, feeling more desirable.

Coveted … that’s the word, but in a way that gives me strength.

How can I find this submission acceptable after being forced to live here? Can I be a true submissive to him if I’m being held against my will?

Questions like this are what kept me up most of the night. What I do know is there is a good side to Ellis Burke. I feel it and see it.

Needing to find out what the day will bring, I head to the bathroom and get ready. I showered last night after being with Ellis, but I hop in again for a quick one.

Once I put my hair up in a loose bun and apply makeup, I roam into the walk-in closet and look around. All the storage units are white, and there’s plenty of overhead lighting in the room.

To the left is a long hanging rack, and multiple dressers are past that. Straight back is a full-length mirror, and on the right side of the closet are cubbies for shoes and handbags.

It’s unreal how nice the space is, and it’s strange to have an abundance of clothing to choose from. Gracie at Octavia would have a field day in here.

After I’ve picked out a delicate lace bra and panty set, I pick up a cream sweater and run my fingers over it. This has to be cashmere. I look for the tag and discover I was correct.

Once it’s on, I notice the scoop neck is low-cut, revealing my cleavage. I pull on some dark boot-cut jeans and a pair of short boots to match.

Seeing how it’s late February, and the temperatures will be milder soon, I want to take advantage of wearing boots before it’s too late.

Stepping in front of the mirror, I admire myself, and I’m amazed how much better this outfit conforms to my figure compared to my old clothes. I can’t deny that I’m pleased with how I look today.

Strolling back in my room, I see on the monitor that Liam is sitting on his floor, stacking his Lego blocks. My mouth falls open in surprise over how comfortable he seems, playing in his room alone. He’s happy here.

It’s quiet in the hallway as I walk to his room. I open the door, and his face lights up.

“Look, I have lots of these blocks,” he says.

“Good morning, and I see. You’re such a big boy playing in here by yourself. Let’s go to the bathroom and get you dressed.”

“I went to potty aweady.”

“You did? All by yourself?”

“Yeah, Boss gave me my own bafroom.”

“You keep saying that name. Who’s Boss?”

“That tall man who reads me books.”

“Oh, really? Did he tell you to call him that?”

Having lost interest in me already, Liam barely nods and goes back to playing with his toys.

Arrogant Ellis. I think that’s a good nickname for him.

I find some clothes in Liam’s closet and give him no choice but to dress and head downstairs for breakfast.

Christopher is pouring himself a cup of coffee in the kitchen. He barely glances my way but then does a double take. His green eyes rake down my body before he shakes his head and goes back to what he was doing.

“Good morning,” I say.

“Morning,” he mumbles before he strides out of the room without even saying hello to Liam. It dawns on me that he avoided me yesterday, too.

“Good morning, Irene.”

“Good morning, Camilla. What would you and Liam like for breakfast this morning?”

“Emma won’t be here for another half hour, so could you fix Liam some oatmeal and help him with it at the table? I need to speak to Mr. Day.”

“Absolutely.” She takes Liam’s hand. “Good morning, my piccolo. Would you like some blueberries in your oatmeal this morning?”

I leave them alone and stroll to the library Christopher’s using for his office. Like my study, it’s lined with bookshelves. There are polished leather chairs and side tables, and his desk sits to the right of the room. The morning sun is filtering in between the thick damask drapes.

“Hi, can we talk a minute?” I ask.

“No, your boyfriend will have an issue with it.”

“What?” I look in the hallway again, and not seeing anyone, I shut the door behind me. “If Ellis shows, I’m here to tell you the books to order for me. Now, what’s wrong?”

Planting his elbows on the desk, Christopher threads his fingers and narrows his gaze.

“I saw him leave your room yesterday morning, Camilla.”

Shit. I rub my earlobe. “I had a bad dream. He heard me yelling and came in to check on me. I was pretty upset, so he stayed with me and fell asleep.”

“So you’re telling me he didn’t fuck you?”

“Don’t ever speak to me like that again. No, I just told you what happened.”

He sighs. “I’m sorry. It was surprising to see him come out of your room, especially when you just got here and he doesn’t know you.”

“Look, he’s not hurting me, so you can ease up on the worrying. He’s being good to Liam and me.”

His eyes squint again. “You like him.”

“Stop putting words in my mouth.”

“Answer me honestly, Cammy. Are you starting to like him?”

“Fine, yes, he’s not so bad.” I look away, knowing how terrible this seems.

“I can’t fucking believe this. You don’t like me after all the years I’ve been there for you, but after only a few days around Ellis Burke, who mind you is holding you hostage by way of blackmail, you already like the man. Do I need to remind you that you had his brother’s baby? It’s like watching a bad soap opera unfold.”

“Screw. You. Get off your high horse, and don’t speak to me until you can do it with respect.”

I storm from the room and back to the kitchen. Asshole. I don’t want to think about what he said. Is it wrong for me to be with Ellis after having Tony’s child? Ellis doesn’t seem to mind. This situation is messed up, and I’m mostly angry because I know what I have to do.